Apple is looking for ways to cut down on wait times at its stores’ checkout lines and roaming WiFi-enabled processing stations in the hands of each employee may be the answer. The same employee helping you pick out the right set of headphones for your iPod can scan product barcodes and take payments via credit card right on the spot. Your receipt will sent to you via e-mail just in case you need to make a return or file an expense report.
The handheld devices Apple uses in its store are powered by Windows. More information is available in a NPR Day to Day report on “maverick retailing” filed earlier this week.